Abstract With a tremendous social impact being expected from blockchain technology in the foreseeable future, researchers often contribute to the space by introducing proposals focusing mostly on distributed systems, economics, security and privacy, just to mention a few. Despite being the most basic requirement for any of these projects to operate successfully, connectivity is generally assumed as a given and greatly disregarded by proposals in this space. We challenge this assumption, by observing that devices often lack Internet connectivity for a number of reasons: there could be lack of coverage, the devices may be physically incapable of connecting to the Internet because they lack the necessary hardware, or the existing connectivity solutions are just too expensive. This greatly limits the scope of devices that can benefit from blockchain technology. HypeLabs created the Hype SDK, a technological engine that enables devices to connect directly to each other on a mesh network. In such networks, devices cooperate by forwarding traffic on behalf of each other, without the need for infrastructure, ultimately resulting in better and cheaper connectivity solutions that are more resilient than the traditional approach. The Hype SDK is the first publicly available technological solution to allow such a wide variety of devices, ranging from smartphones, laptops to low-end IoT to flawlessly communicate and bring connectivity to billions of previously disconnected devices. Devices use whatever technologies they already have available, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or LoRa. With this approach devices can, in fact, share Internet connectivity on the network, enabling each other to reach out to the Internet in many ways, even through the likes of Bluetooth Low Energy. However, devices lack the necessary incentive to cooperate. As the content is forwarded on a network, they share computational resources, such as CPU time and battery. This provides incentive to stay idle on the network until they are the ones greedily looking for service; for this reason, we propose the Hype Open Protocol, an economy-driven connectivity solution that compensates such devices for their efforts and motivates them to remain active on the network, thus delivering overall performance and resilience. The platform enables devices to connect and to trade services and goods directly, without the data going through the Internet. This solution is accessible to app developers around the world, who can build their own custom implementation for services of all kinds by relying on the connectivity solution we propose. HypeLabs has a proven and stable product that is already available to the public, a set of advisors and partners—such as Ericsson and T-Mobile—and a proposal for a healthy and prosperous economy. Today we are on a mission to expand connectivity. We believe in great software as a solution to make tomorrow’s connections more reliable, secure, affordable, and interoperable, and that new paradigms in connectivity are key in achieving a brighter, more connected, future. Hype Open Protocol: a hop into the future of connectivity.
Table of Contents 01 INTRODUCTION
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Connectivity in Blockchain
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The Connectivity Conundrum
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Mesh Networking
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Cooperation in Mesh Networks
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Technological Trinity
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The Hype SDK
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A Connected Future
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02 HYPE OPEN PROTOCOL
6
Overview
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Architecture
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Hype SDK
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Mesh Networking
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No Single Point of Failure
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Reduced Costs
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Cooperation
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Interoperability
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Multi-transport
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Transport Redundancy
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Higher Bandwidth and Lower Latency
13
Connectivity Paradigms
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App Layer Services
14
Policies
15
Security
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Tokenomics and Distribution
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Utility and Purpose
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Connectivity
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Monetizing Infrastructure
19
Optimized Services and Trading
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Showcase Highlights and Pilots
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IX SCIENTIPHICVS
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Smart Home Appliances
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Features Other Features Use Cases Other Use Cases
03 HYPELABS
22 22 23 25
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Team
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Advisors
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Partners
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Institutional Investors
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04 ROADMAP 05 BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Introduction 1.1 Connectivity in Blockchain Blockchain technology introduced a paradigmatic shift in financial ledgers. Contrasting with the traditional approach, the decentralized, anonymous, and most importantly, trustless properties of storing and processing transactions, paved the way for a likely revolution of modern-day financial systems. That is, at least, how Bitcoin first introduced the concept to the world1 . Ever since then, there has been widespread awareness of the potential applications of blockchain, many of which extend far beyond its original intent. For instance, casting votes in elections, proving the authenticity and precedence of digital documents, media piracy protection, tracking the origin of goods and quality of services, self-executing contracts, and more2 . Notwithstanding, it is the financial applicability of the technology where most of the focus is centered and where its most immediate global impact is conjectured. In spite of the broad spectrum of applicability, as well as strong investment and valuation growth trends3 , blockchain is still in its infancy4 . As with any technological revolution, rapid development creates leaps of advancement, called "generations". Bitcoin was the first distributed ledger, and thus the first generation. The second generation, thanks to Ethereum, brought Smart Contracts. However, scalability and governance were the main stumble blocks for mass adoption5 . The third generation is still an open discussion. Many projects are competing to be given this title, progressing in areas such as scalability, interoperability, security and governance. Which one will ultimately succeed is unknown at this stage6 .
Figure 1—The third generation of blockchain is still an open discussion. Despite being crucial for blockchain technology to operate, connectivity is rarely one of the chief concerns. Scholars and engineers in the blockchain field mostly direct their focus toward ways of improvement through the design of new distributed data structures7 , consensus protocols8 , regulation or lack thereof4 , security and privacy9 , to mention a few. In a way, this makes sense, as these are key areas to ensure the continual progression and relevance of the technology.
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However, it is our observation that, of the several technological challenges identified by the blockchain community, there is one assumption that is inevitably made which can potentially represent an obstacle greater than all those mentioned thus far. That is, connectivity. We hereby challenge the assumption that connectivity is present by default when implementing a blockchain architecture.
1.2 The Connectivity Conundrum Since its invention in the 80s, the Internet has grown to serve nearly half of the world’s population to this day10 –nearly half being key. Perhaps surprisingly, even with half of mankind yet to be connected, the growth in new Internet users has started to slow down11 , a downward trend that can hardly be pragmatically explained.
Figure 2—The global growth of the Internet is already slowing down11 , as is shown by the percentage of user growth change over the years. The likes of Google’s Project Loon12 and Facebook’s internet.org13 hint at the industry’s concern with this matter, pinpointing that the struggle is real. On the other end of the spectrum, in 2011, UN Special Rapporteur Frank La Rue presented a report to the United Nations declaring Internet access a human right. In his words, "given that the Internet has become an indispensable tool for realizing a range of human rights, combating inequality, and accelerating development and human progress, ensuring universal access to the Internet should be a priority for all states"14 . All things considered, the transversality of these concerns bears a conclusion: we need more connected people. However, connected people require devices, potentially billions. Consider too the steady rise of another emerging technology, IoT—the Internet of Things. According to Cisco, IoT is the point in time in which the number of devices connected to the Internet exceeds the world population15 , an event that has already occurred sometime in 200816 . However, Cisco’s forecast for over 50 billion devices by 202015 , or Gartner’s more conservative figures of 20 billion for the same period17 , may help to elucidate the reality for the years ahead. Given predictions that exceed the number of people on the planet by over seven-fold, several challenges begin to arise. For example, given the plurality of manufacturers, protocols, and radio technologies, how will these devices communicate? Plus, with such mind-blowing forecasts of scale, many have voiced valid concerns over whether the infrastructure will be ready18 . With these factors in mind, we have come to the realization that software innovation can offer a cost effective and robust solution. In fact, we have to look no further than our own pockets to find this extra bit of infrastructure, to devices that may have
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been overlooked thus far. This approach introduces a different paradigm of connectivity, one in which the devices themselves become the infrastructure.
1.3 Mesh Networking Mesh networking introduces an innovative shift from the topology of traditional networking models. The difference is in how the devices connect. Instead of relying on infrastructure, they connect directly and are capable of relaying data on behalf of each other, operating as routers. Without a centralized entity managing the network, such as an access point, the network is not sensitive to a single point of failure—an event in which the access point would go offline. Even if certain devices are compromised, the network is still capable of operating by finding alternative paths to a desired destination. Consequently, this means more resilience. According to the traditional paradigm, with several devices connected to a central point, it becomes easy to visualize the star-shaped topological map with an access point at the center. In contrast, with the alternative paradigm, devices connect directly to each other and form a mesh instead—hence the name mesh networking19 . There are several advantages to this: Resilience, in that broken nodes do not compromise the network entirely; Spontaneity, a feature empowered by the network’s capacity to form and heal itself; Decentralization, in the sense that having devices connect directly the need for Internet providers is alleviated; Scale, as a consequence of the fact that such networks benefit from node density to form a greater number of alternative paths; Throughput, an attribute achieved by enabling multiple paths simultaneously to transmit data to a given destination; Load balancing, with several alternatives being used to leverage traffic on the network; Reduced costs of infrastructure, due to the nodes connecting directly, thereby alleviating the need for central authorities. Overall, mesh networks introduce several advantages over existing connectivity solutions, but it must be said that they are not meant to replace existing frameworks. Rather, the different connectivity paradigms complement each other and can, in fact, even be combined together. Such hybrid networks are commonly used, for example, in last-mile connectivity19 .
1.4 Cooperation in Mesh Networks Mesh networks are highly cooperative solutions, but what exactly motivates peers to collaborate? In practice, nothing compels routers to consume resources, such as battery and bandwidth, in order to enable others to communicate. This is especially true considering the realms of IoT, where devices are constrained and resources scarce. In fact, resource drainage without incentive, motivates peers not to cooperate and instead shutdown from the network until they are the ones greedily looking for service. This problem can be thought of in game-theoretic terms: as players in a game change strategies to their own benefit, so do participants of a mesh network. John Nash’s work from the 50s on Nash Equilibriums20 is undisputed in this field, stating that an equilibrium is reached if none of the players
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is motivated to change strategies or, equivalently, that they are motivated to keep it. This is where cryptocurrencies become useful. With the introduction of blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies can be leveraged as a tool to incentivize participants to join and stay, strengthening the network as a whole.
1.5 Technological Trinity A sort of technological trinity begins to emerge, one in which cryptocurrencies, IoT, and mesh networks are deeply intertwined. Blockchain will have tremendous potential impact, not only on IoT, but also on mesh networking by solving the problem of incentive.
Figure 3—The Hype Open Protocol tackles the technology trinity: blockchain, IoT, and connectivity. The Hype Open Protocol positions itself on the networking side of the trio, providing the technological solutions for connecting all sorts of devices. At the same time, the technology relies on an incentivized networking model, which motivates cooperation. This effort, we believe, not only brings connectivity solutions, but at the same time addresses an often overlooked vulnerability in the field of cryptocurrencies. Most importantly, it is a technological arena in which HypeLabs is an industry leader. Yet, addressing connectivity alone is hardly enough. After all, connected devices do stuff—sensors upload their readings to the cloud, smartphones connect people with social media and consoles entertain gamers all over the world. Beyond connectivity, a logical next step would then be to enable all sorts of services to run on these devices; enabling the exchange of goods and services to be brought to realms previously unreachable by modern-day technology. Exchanging goods and assets, sharing excessive computational, storage, and bandwidth resources, granting access to media, monetizing infrastructure and underused devices, and engaging in financial and trading services are a few examples of what could be built with a hyper-connected platform, powered by smart connectivity solutions and cryptocurrencies. HypeLabs has developed a technology that allows any kind of device, over any sort of communication protocol, to transport any type of data, bringing millions, if not billions of so-called disconnected devices, online. This solution places HypeLabs in a very unique position to empower the new wave of connectivity technology, bringing the potential of blockchain to virtually every device on the planet.
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1.6 The Hype SDK HypeLabs created the Hype SDK, a technological engine that empowers connectivity in all sorts of devices. The SDK uses whatever means of communication are available on the device, ranging from Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to LoRa and NB-IoT. In fact, it can even use them simultaneously, improving network resilience and throughput beyond the capabilities of the traditional approach. By connecting devices directly, a local mesh network is formed, one that is established and maintained automatically without user intervention. Data is sent through the network, hopping from device to device, until it reaches a destination or an Internet gateway. The network is secured in many ways by providing authentication, identification, and state of the art encryption to prevent attackers from eavesdropping or from tampering with data. The technology is agnostic to the type of media that it transports, facilitating its use for a wide variety of applications.
Figure 4—The Hype SDK is a technological engine that securely connects all sorts of devices using mesh networking.
1.7 A Connected Future Our vision is one of a world where everyone is connected. One in which people, devices and machines interact seamlessly on a global scale. If connectivity is the catalyst to combat inequality, if it can accelerate development and human progress, then we shall sharpen our minds to bear arms of thought. We shall seek to empower imaginations, inspire new creations and enable interactions to redefine the social fabric of the world. Our belief is that Hype is a tool—the tool—enabling this revolution, bringing about a more connected future filled with reliable, secure and affordable connectivity, made available to everyone and everything, rich or poor, man or machine. Only after everything is connected shall we rest. Only then shall we say "the job is done". Hype Open Protocol: a hop into the future of connectivity.
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Hype Open Protocol 2.1 Overview
Figure 5—The Hype Open Protocol provides incentive for mesh networks managed by the Hype SDK, while empowering apps to engage in the trade of goods and services. The Hype Open Protocol is a technological solution for interoperable, secure, and incentivized mesh networking. This technology is a connectivity platform that enables different devices to communicate, trade digital assets and services, such as access the Internet where they have otherwise been incapable of doing so. The Hype SDK is the engine that enables devices to connect on a local mesh network and cooperate for the sake of connectivity. With it, participants are capable of forwarding trafďŹ c on behalf of each other, share Internet access, and provide overall interoperable connectivity. The network is usually composed of low-end devices such as Raspberry Pis and smartphones, however any kind of device can actually join in. The Hype Open Protocol provides the necessary incentive for them to cooperate, enabling app developers to monetize infrastructure and services. Incentivization is achieved by introducing a fee that scales according to the amount of resources consumed by the network. This means that devices earn fee revenue relative to the amount of resources they share with the rest of the network, whether this be power, memory, CPU or an Internet connection. With this scheme in place, devices are incentivized to assign greater amounts of resources to the network as a whole, increasing performance, stability and reliability.
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Devices cooperate for the sake of connectivity, which provides them with access to a network of peers with persistent access to the Internet and are more computationally-capable, such as servers and desktops. It is assumed that such nodes have high connectivity. In fact, those are the ones that maintain the ledger, validate and process transactions. This network provides the necessary cryptocurrency layer for the purpose of incentivizing the mesh network powered by the Hype SDK. With economy-driven connectivity, devices may provide services to the network and consume services from others, enabling a Consumer to Consumer (C2C) trading and service paradigm. Overlap between modules may occur. Devices that are a part of the Hype Open Protocol may or may not be participants of a mesh network, and thus the opposite is also true. Still, the majority of the mesh network nodes are not expected to be members of the Hype Open Protocol, since these devices are usually computationally limited, such as smartphones or even IoT devices, and thus do not fulfill the necessary requirements to maintain the ledger. For this reason, the two networks are separated in this way: one in which devices cooperate for connectivity, and another that enables trading and incentivization by processing transactions.
2.2 Architecture
Figure 6—Devices trade in a mesh network by using Internet gateways to access the ledger. The Hype Open Protocol involves different types of devices with varying degrees of responsibility. The diagram in Figure 6 shows how the several components interact and depicts two end devices communicating through the mesh network. In this illustration, a consumer is requesting a service from a provider, which is depicted by the blue line. In order to connect, the consumer and the provider rely on a mesh network for reachability and interoperability. As the communication occurs, devices charge a fee to incentivize their cooperation. This occurs by accessing the Internet, either directly or through a third party Internet gateway. This technique enables devices without Internet access to still actively participate on the network. Several components of the network can be identified as follows: •
End devices both consume and provide services to the mesh network. Such devices could be smartphones, desktops, laptops, low-end IoT devices, or mainframes;
•
Internet gateways work as exit points and can provide the mesh network with Internet access. These are not always necessary, such as when the devices can access the Internet themselves;
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The ledger is maintained by a network of nodes, located anywhere with an Internet connection;
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•
Network nodes process transactions.
Devices on the network edge—the end devices—cooperate using the Hype SDK. There is no clear separation between which devices provide or consume services, because all are capable of both. In the event of, say, a water utility supplying water to a consumer, what happens if the water provider does not have Internet access, but the consumer does? In that case, the consumer may be the one providing Internet access, meaning that the water utility would need to access the ledger to fetch cryptographic proof that the fees for the water usage have in fact been charged. This makes the distinction between end device and Internet gateway quite redundant; any device can be either, and in fact be both simultaneously. Actually, providers may service multiple consumers while using the same source for Internet reachability. This means that the consumers are incentivized to keep sharing their Internet connection for as long as possible, making it useful for both in general; that is, consumers and infrastructure. The same is true for all consumers; this effectively means that the producer is given connectivity options, which creates a competitive marketplace and, better yet, ensures highly reliable connectivity solutions. Other devices may be involved in the process by sharing several types of resources, such as allowing the provider to hop connections through them. Such devices do not collect fees for water transactions or Internet reachability, but they do collect fees for the resources they consume, such as memory, power and CPU time. In the end, there is incentive for the network to grow, as the scenario is financially favorable for all parties involved.
2.3 Hype SDK
Figure 7—The Hype SDK connects devices using technologies that they are already equipped with. The Hype SDK is the technology that enables devices to connect, even when they display different networking capabilities. This includes devices from varying vendors, which often cannot communicate due to the use of differing radio technologies. Participants can range from smartphones and desktops to low-end IoT devices—anything, basically. The network enables content to hop from device to device, until it reaches a destination or an Internet gateway. Content is protected with end-to-end encryption, meaning that only participants of a conversation are capable of understanding what is being exchanged. This paradigm mitigates the need for infrastructure, while at the same time taking advantage of it when available. By being agnostic to the type of data that it transports, the Hype SDK enables content delivery of any kind of media, including text, pictures, or video. The Hype SDK is a complex software technology with many features and modules involved. This technology is described throughout the subsections that follow.
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2.3.1 Mesh Networking The concept of mesh networking is better understood when compared with other well known networking topologies. Consider a network where devices are connected to a central access point. This is called a star topology, and is inarguably the most common network topology in existance. This contrasts with mesh networks, where devices connect directly instead, eliminating the need for a central entity. Even without a mediator, all nodes can still be somehow reachable, called a full mesh. Devices can act as routers to forward trafďŹ c on behalf of others, enabling the content to hop between them until it reaches a destination. In an economy-driven connectivity solution the devices are given incentive to cooperate with each other. Mesh networks are usually not incentivized. The Hype SDK, however, is the ďŹ rst mesh network platform that incentivizes devices to remain on the network to share their resources. This makes any network powered by the Hype SDK more stable and resilient than traditional mesh networks.
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2.3.2 No Single Point of Failure One advantage of mesh networks is eliminating a problem known as single point of failure. Continuing on the previous example, consider what would happen if the access point in the center of the star was compromised. As a central node to the network, the router going offline brings the network down as a whole. Now consider the same scenario in the mesh, and notice that any link breaking does not compromise the network entirely. Rather, this change to the network’s fabric makes it more versatile and resilient. The absence of single point of failure is even more relevant in situations where compromises are expected or are often critical, and communication frameworks are rendered useless for undetermined periods of time. A software crash, hardware failure or power blackout may lead to network losses. Even with resilient infrastructure, catastrophic scenarios may occur where this infrastructure is often destroyed. Mesh networks have proven to be much more robust in these scenarios, since no node would ever represent a single point of failure in the network.
2.3.3 Reduced Costs A key concern for telecom operators is often return of investment (ROI) in terms of infrastructure deployment. In fact, this, alone, explains why rural and isolated areas more often than not lack the necessary connectivity frameworks—it’s expensive to deploy and it’s expensive to maintain. An upside of mesh networking is that it can be done through software and using only the technologies that are already equipped on the devices. This means that smartphones that already have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth can be participants of a mesh network without the required addition of any hardware whatsoever. The same is true for IoT. Many such devices are already equipped with radio technologies such as Bluetooth Low Energy, which is physically incapable of connecting to the Internet. With this technology, even such devices can connect to the Internet by reaching out through a third party. Using software makes it cheap and easy to deploy such networks in practically any type of scenario, even rural areas that are often avoided by telecom operators. By using incentivized connectivity, not only can the Hype SDK make deployments cheaper, but also enable existing infrastructure and devices to be monetized.
2.3.4 Cooperation
Figure 8—Devices cooperate on the network, locally, to access the Internet through gateways.
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The diagram in Figure 8 illustrates how the network is formed through cooperation. Devices connect and communicate locally, while gateways provide the network with general Internet access. In order to get to a given destination, the Hype SDK automatically computes the best path—best meaning according to a given set of heuristics. The nodes cooperate by passing information and profiling links according to four different criteria: •
Goodput, as a factor of the amount of data that can successfully be transmitted per second;
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Latency, as a measure of time that takes data to travel between source and destination;
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Network conservation, meaning an overall weight of the resources spent on the network, such as battery, causing the network to live longer;
•
Cost, as a measure of the liquid cost it takes to traverse the path per unit of data (i.e. megabyte).
This set of criteria enables policies to be given as a function of the tradeoff between cost and quality of service (QoS); that is, the app, the developer, or the user, may specify whether to favor throughput, latency, network liveness, or effective cost. If a certain app is exchanging content, it’s important to make sure that only instances of that same app are capable of communicating with it, not apps from other vendors. However, having different vendors cooperate is still an interesting concept. To understand why, imagine a world where devices, regardless of manufacturer, cooperate seamlessly on the same network. Hype solves this problem using unique app identifiers. Apps communicate directly if they share the same app identifier, and although they will not communicate directly if those differ, they may still cooperate by forwarding traffic on behalf of each other. Hype is capable of identifying this scenario and prevent different vendor’s apps from communicating directly, while still enabling the mesh network cooperation. The devices fit on the network as pieces of a puzzle—they identify which pieces fit and create a mesh where everything is connected. Even if two devices deployed by the same vendor are out of reach of each other, other vendors may mitigate the gap and charge fees for the service.
Figure 9—Different vendors may cooperate on the same network while still keeping the data private and secured.
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2.3.5 Interoperability An extraordinary variety of demands imposed to systems, machines and people, has lead to the creation of a multitude of new communication protocols that serve very specific use cases. In fact, this huge variety is strictly tied to a small set of scenarios, as there is no such thing as a solution to solve all problems. Although the objective is to improve connectivity, the opposite actually happens, because different protocols are not able to cooperate and can even interfere with each other, which may actually cause overall performance decay. The Hype SDK was developed to address these issues, providing a single framework that deals with this heterogeneity. By providing abstractions to the way that these technologies are consumed, the benefits are twofold: •
There is no need to handle the specificities of each platform, as the Hype SDK provides the same API for multiple platforms;
•
HypeLabs invests a lot into working around the quirks of each implementation, making it seemingless to connect cross-platform.
Systems with this technology may, therefore, connect with wider varieties of devices. This fact alone unfolds extraordinary opportunities, enabling developers to create better and more reliable products and creative solutions.
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2.3.6 Multi-transport Mesh networks need to handle a wide variety of devices due to network participants using different types of hardware. Each vendor implements connectivity with its own quirks, often creating incompatibilities. By making use of the Hype SDK, such devices may still communicate, in manners that would otherwise not be possible. Multi-transport is a concept that refers to a device’s ability to maintain more than one communication technology simultaneously. This is quite common, especially in high-end devices, which nowadays often support all Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet, among others. Other less common possibilities include WiMAX, ZigBee, and SigFox. The Hype SDK does not implement transports of its own, but rather relies on existing channels and implements mesh technology on top of them, which is one of the key points enabling it to be so easily deployable. Notably, it commonly happens that existing communication technologies are implemented differently, and therefore introduce quirks for developers to solve. At HypeLabs, we spend considerable effort resolving these differences and tweaking the implementations to be as cross-platform as possible. If two devices don’t share common transport technologies, they would never communicate using the tradicional paradigm. However, with the Hype SDK it’s possible to add a bridge device and eliminate this problem. For example, if one device has Bluetooth and another has Wi-Fi, they can still communicate through a third one that supports both, as is illustrated in Figure 10.
Figure 10—The concept of bridging enables devices without compatible radios to still communicate.
2.3.7 Transport Redundancy The major upside of being a multi-transport technology is adding redundancy in direct link; when using the traditional paradigm, devices connect using a single technology, such as Wi-Fi. In situations where a single transport would fail, the Hype SDK may attempt to recover by relying on an alternative, say, Bluetooth, making the network more reliable. This type of redundancy does not exist in traditional networking, where devices connect through a single transport and maintain the connections in that way. In case that transport fails, so does the connection, and there’s no attempt to recover using alternatives. The Hype SDK solves this problem by using all available transports already supported by the device.
2.3.8 Higher Bandwidth and Lower Latency In cases where several transports are simultaneously available, the SDK can get more bandwidth compared to the traditional approach. Instead of communicating through a single channel, the technology is capable of relying on several channels, even simultaneously, enabling the device to send more data at once.
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The multi-transport concept is even more powerful if online communications are considered. There are many reasons that can cause a device not to have any form of Internet connectivity, such as not being physically enabled to, or otherwise being out of range of a cellular network. By allying the concepts of mesh networking and multi-transport together, the Hype SDK can reach the Internet in different ways. A common scenario is to have a mobile device sharing its Internet connection with others over Bluetooth— called tethering. In this scenario, even devices that do not have Wi-Fi, a data plan, or Ethernet, are capable of reaching the Internet.
2.3.9 Connectivity Paradigms The Hype SDK offers different connectivity paradigms to cover a variety of scenarios. If, for example, two devices are exchanging text content for the sake of a conversation, the network’s effort to cooperate is charged to the user sending the data. However, this contrasts with an IoT sensor sending readings to a subscriber of its services, in which case the subscriber should be charged instead. The first method uses a sender/receiver paradigm. This enables devices to communicate and exchange any kind of data, and the charges are on the sender side. This is by far the most common paradigm of connectivity in Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks. An alternative is using a publisher/subscriber paradigm. In this case, a device (or set of devices) generates content, which is consumed by a different set of consumers that are interested in following the content. Not only does this paradigm differ in terms of connectivity, but also the charges are put on the subscriber—that is, the receiver. Both paradigms also enable chains of conditional events, known as If This Then That (IFTTT). In this paradigm, an event is triggered by a service, causing an action to occur in response. Such actions can be chained, opening all sorts of possibilities.
2.3.10 App Layer Services Other than for the sake of connectivity, the Hype SDK does not engage in other forms of trading, although it becomes an enabler for developers to build services on top it. This could mean sharing storage, computational resources, or trading goods, to mention a few. For example, some app could expose a music registry that it holds in storage, enabling others to listen to specific songs from that list, on demand, and charge listeners in the process; or energy grids could use improved connectivity to balance energy load. Not only does the technology make this possible for devices without Internet, but it also makes it easy. By providing access to the Internet, devices also become capable of accessing any sort of blockchain solution, such as Ethereum, EOS, and pretty much anything else. For that reason, the Hype Open Protocol can be seen as an enabler of connectivity by trading HOP, while other services are traded using any currency of choice. As it will be shown later, however, there are advantages to use HOP instead of the alternatives, making HOP ideal not only for connectivity, but also services and trading. As blockchain is a technology that is still in its infancy, it should be evident that no single solution is guaranteed to be future proof, but this one is; the fact that the platform of trading is left up to the developer, implies that current and future solutions can be supported by the Hype technology. In fact, this is a major rationale for this concern. The Hype SDK provides devices with Internet reachability, a trait that enables access to any form of ledger tracking—even VISA—provided that an Internet gateway is reachable somehow.
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The Hype SDK can also indulge changes of platform at any point in time, perhaps because the previous solution no longer supports specific requirements for the app. No extraordinary fees are charged besides the ones already implemented by the platform of choice, whatever that may be. For example, given the situation where a developer chooses EOS over other solutions, no fees are charged at all, as that platform does not imply any by design. It’s notable that other features are available too—KYC, AML, and so on—given that the platform provides for those as well.
2.3.11 Policies In networking it is common to optimize for different purposes, according to requirements of a specific deployment. For example, in some situations it might be desirable to optimize the network for battery, while in others the requirements might dictate that throughput is more important. Being an abstract connectivity solution, the Hype SDK might not know what to optimize for under all scenarios, so the choice is left to the app. A policy is the means by which the app tells the SDK what to optimize for, which could include battery, throughput, or cost. The difference relies in how the data is forwarded through the network; if a given path provides higher throughput it might be more expensive as well. For example, if a certain device is connected to the Internet, communicating through it will have a certain cost. Assuming, for a second, that an alternative path exists that uses Bluetooth Low Energy, this alternative will provide less throughput, but also consume less energy and not use an expensive data plan; one is faster, the other is cheaper. In either case, the developer’s (or the user’s) choice of heuristic is used by the Hype SDK for the purposes of network management and choices of path. The SDK is not always capable of making these choices, and thus input is contributed by the app.
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2.3.12 Security Authentication is a process that commonly requires querying a database, or some sort of permission registry, meaning a common central entity. Because mesh networks are decentralized by nature, a paradigmatic equivalent approach is not possible. To make matters more challenging, common deployments involve low-end devices, with highly constrained resources and often limited in terms of bandwidth, memory, and processing power. When working over wireless mediums, the problem is further exacerbated by an attacker’s ability to sniff traffic from the air. Unless cryptographic mechanisms are put in place, the contents being exchanged between devices are plainly visible to their surroundings. In a mesh network where devices forward content on behalf of each other, it must be asserted that those assuming the role of routers are reliable so as not to observe or tamper with the data. In any other case, the network would be highly sensible to man-in-the-middle attacks, a specific type of hacking in which an attacker mediates a conversation. Hype provides the necessary patent-pending mechanisms to ensure that unauthorized users do not gain access to the network. This refers to user authentication and authorization; authentication is the process by which devices prove they are who they are, and authorization consists of specifying the rights and permissions that an identified device can perform within the network. When authenticated and authorized, devices are digitally certified. Every time that the Hype SDK is requested to start without a valid certificate being installed on the device, either due to non-existence or expiry, it will prompt the app for authentication, and refuse to join the network in the meanwhile. This process requires the device to access the Internet when a digital certificate is not installed or has expired. The certification expiry periods are configurable, meaning that developers may choose one month, one year, three years, or any other period, depending on their project requirements. This flexibility guarantees that the Hype SDK can be used as a connectivity solution regardless of the requirements imposed by the vendor.
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2.4 Tokenomics and Distribution In the field of distributed computing, distributed systems rely on some form of synchronization to have all nodes up-to-date with the state that they are replicating. A major problem in this field is the fact that such systems may fail, or otherwise be compromised, implying the existence of unreliable components. Without proper synchronization algorithms, such systems are incapable of reaching consensus, and thus the multiple replicas may never be in accordance. Systems that are capable of coping with such compromises are said to be byzantine fault-tolerant. The Hype Open Protocol does not contribute technologically in terms of consensus protocols. Rather, the platform relies on an existing proven solution, namely the Stellar Consensus Protocol (SCP), by Stellar. Given the relevance of this protocol to the Hype Open Protocol, a short description is in order. SCP is a new approach to consensus that provides decentralized control, low latency, flexible trust and asymptotic security. These four characteristics respectively guarantee: •
Equal participation opportunity, as anyone is allowed to participate without a central authority imposing conditions. This enables freedom-to-participate principles, which are at the core of our belief system. Doing so is important as to give upcoming players in the field equal opportunity to grow;
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Fast consensus, which is necessary as to allow the processing of potentially thousands of transactions per second, and to balance the financial ecosystem at the core of the protocol;
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Freedom of trust, allowing nodes to choose who they should trust. This is important as a bad actor could potentially influence the integrity of the network. Knowing this, bad actors can be excluded;
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Security, which is measured in terms of hash power, in the sense that the scheme cannot be broken in polynomial time; that is, as an attacker needs exponentially more computational power to break the system, the defender needs linear, or even logarithmic more power in comparison to maintain it (which is true with hashing). This contrasts with Proof-of-Work, in which attackers need only linear amounts of computational power (hence 51%).
Stellar Core is the engine behind Stellar that implements the Stellar Consensus Protocol. This implementation is open sourced and freely available; this means that anyone can set up a verification node, as well as contribute to the project. The Stellar Network is composed by a series of such nodes, with the capability to verify transactions. As those are verified, they are added to the public ledger. The network optimizes for safety over liveness, meaning that in the event of an attack or otherwise misbehaving nodes, the protocol withholds progress of the network until consensus is finally reached. This is an important property, as speed is secondary to reliable systems. The network can be used to track, hold, and transfer any type of asset, including currencies (dollars, euros, bitcoins), stocks, gold, as well as any other type of asset. The assets can be exchanged with one another, through means of a system called Distributed Exchange. Additionally, Stellar automatically finds the best prices to exchange currencies for, culminating in a reliable and scalable system. The Hype Open Protocol inherits these features, thus providing the same upsides beyond the ones being proposed.
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2.4.1 Utility and Purpose The Hype Open Protocol (HOP) empowers devices with resilient connectivity and better quality of service. Nodes on the network can cooperate for local connectivity and Internet reachability, enabling devices to communicate seamlessly while incentivizing others to cooperate, effectively tokenizing usage. The token’s utility is threefold, and these matters are discussed in the three sections that follow: •
Providing connectivity, while incentivizing participation;
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Monetizing infrastructure;
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Enabling and optimizing, in speed and costs, app-layer trading and services.
2.4.1.1 Connectivity Devices maintain the network for free, meaning that the cooperation initially occurs without incentive in order to make the network converge; this observation is based on the fact that it is in everybody’s best interest to maintain an active network, from which they can benefit. As the network converges, paths are calculated and throughput, latency, overall power supply, and traversal costs calculated with it. After that, the network is maintained and the same heuristics are constantly updated. After converging, the best paths on the network are known and ready to allow the flow of data; before that, communication is also possible, although the paths are not guaranteed to be optimal.
Figure 11—Charges on the mesh network scale according to the overall resources consumed. Devices set their own pricing, which originates competitiveness. While computing paths, each device adds a fee to be charged. This charge is calculated as the network sends updates, not actual content, and thus the cost of traversal for any given path can be estimated beforehand. Figure 11 illustrates how the charges accumulate on the network and devices are monetized through cooperation. The Hype SDK sets default prices that leverage power supply, hardware capabilities, and network traffic, among others. However, developers may override this setting at will and set a pricing model that they think is fairer; in case multiple devices are available, the cheapest should be preferred for cost heuristics, while better hardware should be capable of providing better service quality, possibly at the expense of higher fees.
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Internet reachability is also leveraged by the device. In case some device is sharing a data plan, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or some other form of Internet connectivity, it may apply charges that scale according to that availability. In the eventuality of multiple Internet gateways being accessible, consumers may leverage costs and service quality and favor ones over others. In either case, the fees are negotiated in terms of a predetermined amount of data. That is, the network sets the pricing for, say, one megabyte, for which every device accommodates its own price. This, however, is not set permanently, and instead devices are free to update their pricing models and heuristics at will, provided that they inform the network of such changes. The charge, however, is performed as a function of the actual data that is sent, meaning that it is computed in fractions or multiples of the agreed amount. This means that consumers need not pay for agreed values that they end up not consuming.
2.4.1.2 Monetizing Infrastructure It is often the case that infrastructure exists but is underutilized. With the Hype Open Protocol such infrastructure can be monetized by providing local connectivity and Internet reachability to surrounding devices, often without additions of hardware of any kind. For example, many cities are investing in deploying sensors to collect readings of many kinds, culminating in more efficient city management. Such readings could include traffic control, air quality, and water levels, to mention a few. There are, however, two problems with this approach: (1) the deployed hardware is often not monetized directly, in the sense that it serves the purpose that it was deployed for, but is otherwise useless for most of the time; (2) such locations often lack connectivity, meaning that the Hype SDK can rely on passersby to access the Internet. Under these considerations, the Hype Open Protocol can grow, in size and value, in two additional ways: •
Provide existing infrastructure with connectivity by relying on passersby and mesh networking when Internet is non-existent;
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Monetize existing infrastructure by providing connectivity to nearby services when Internet is surplus.
It’s notable that the second point above results in city and infrastructure managers to actually be motivated to deploy more and more infrastructure, resulting in overall better connectivity and bigger networks, which enables better connectivity yet and thus more devices can join. This cyclic relationship empowers the Hype Open Protocol to grow considerably over time.
2.4.1.3 Optimized Services and Trading The Hype Open Protocol manages connectivity charges to guarantee interoperability. The main rationale for this is having all devices cooperate seamlessly; if it was the case that devices were trading using different monetary units, they wouldn’t be capable of cooperation unless the currency was exchanged somehow, which would imply additional fees. To solve this problem, all connectivity related charges are traded in HOP. The same is not true at the application layer; rather, after being granted connectivity, apps may engage in trading using any currency of choice, simply by reaching out to the Internet. This means Bitcoin, Ethereum, and EOS, to mention a few. This fact makes HOP future proof.
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What’s relevant to notice is that apps are actually incentivized to use HOP instead of some alternative. As devices communicate and charges are made for the sake of connectivity, the Hype SDK enables the app to aggregate other charges and process the transactions together, as illustrated in Figure 12 by means of a funnil. This makes the process faster and cheaper, due to the reduction of overall charges and volume, guaranteeing lower prices and higher TPS.
Figure 12—By aggregating connectivity and app layer transactions, the network achieves higher TPS and lower fees. Making the Hype Open Protocol more attractive for the purposes of services and trading goods makes the solution more valuable. This means that the network’s overall value grows not only through an increasing number of devices connecting, but also as a function of the number of services provided by app developers and the goods they trade.
2.5 Showcase Highlights and Pilots 2.5.1 IX SCIENTIPHICVS SCIENTIPHICVS is a annual music festival that occurs in the city of Oporto, organized by the Faculty of Science of the University of Oporto. During this two day festival, around 12 academic musical groups, composed by over 10 elements each, showcase a set of tradicional portuguese and spanish songs, in a relaxed academic environment. The performers are awarded prizes for best song, best choreography, and best performer, among others, elected by a jury. Such festivals are common in Portugal, and several occur every year. HypeLabs collaborated with the IX SCIENTIPHICVS organization in 2016 to deploy the first mesh networking app that allowed attenders to elect their favorite musical group. The voting ran without Internet, relying solely on the local mesh network of devices. The voting took place among over 400 participants, and resulted in the first off-the-grid digital election to take place in the world.
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2.5.2 Smart Home Appliances After launching the Hype SDK for IoT platforms such as Raspberry Pi and ESP32, the community responded with several projects in the ďŹ eld that made the delight of the team. In this case, Joshua Evans wrote to us from Stockholm, with a set of projects regarding smart home appliances. After integrating a ESP32 device with a coffee machine, Joshua managed to request the machine to make himself an espresso, merely by using his smartphone and the Hype SDK. Two projects followed: a smart door, that safely opens upon request by a device legitimized by the Hype SDK without overriding the standard mechanisms, and a smart water kettle, that sends a notiďŹ cation to your smartphone when tea is ready.
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2.6 Features Mesh Networking Hype automatically creates mesh networks using nearby devices with any available wireless resources, including Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi.
Interoperability From mobile to desktop, the Hype technology is the fastest and simplest way to make a wide variety of platforms work together.
Security Hype uses end-to-end encryption, guaranteeing that intermediary devices do not read or tamper with any of the data they relay.
2.6.1 Other Features Internet Reachability
No Single Point of Failure
The Hype technology enables almost any device to reach the Internet even if they are out of range of an access point. Devices can share Internet surplus and charge others in the process.
The most common wireless Internet setup, relies on a single router, the gateway to the Internet. This is a single point of failure. Hype technology provides a connectivity solution that is self-healing and resilient. There’s no single point of failure.
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Battery Efficiency
Progress Tracking
Hype introduces the concept of policies, enabling developers to choose what it should optimize for.
While sending content, it’s commonly desirable to track how much of the data has been delivered and when. Hype provides this option.
Network Offloading
Announcements
Hype is capable of offloading the existing infrastructure by redirecting traffic, guaranteeing connectivity in events with high counts of people.
A small amount of data that can be used to exchange usernames, or even tiny profile pictures (avatars) for identification purposes. They’re not encrypted.
Network Segregation
Multiplexing
With Hype, devices running different apps can still cooperate on the same network. No need to worry about mismatching protocols.
Hype intelligently fragments data into segments and simultaneously sends them through different paths and channels on the network.
Easy Integration
Unicast
Get your project started in seconds, and make your app’s connection near indestructible in a few minutes. All it takes is to drag and drop the SDK into your favorite IDE and a few lines of code.
The most common scenario for communication is unicast. Delivering messages from one device to another. One sender and one receiver.
Multicast
Broadcast
Sometimes messages need to be sent to several destinations at the same time. This can be used for social situations such as group chats.
When you need to reach as many devices as possible, Hype offers communication from one sender to all other connected receivers.
2.7 Use Cases
Internet Sharing Ever ran out of data from your Internet data plan? With Hype it’s possible to "rent" Internet to and from other users, sensor networks, etc. It enables the sharing of excess data on a cellular plan, for a fee.
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Energy Grid Balancing Energy grids serve households and industry alike, but energy requirements and production vary all the time. Energy production from renewable sources may be sold back into the grid to produce balance, and the Hype Open Protocol can provide the necessary connectivity and economy model.
Connectivity as Infrastructure Cities are rich in infrastructure that is underutilized. Mesh networks can be used to fuel connectivity through lamp posts, trafďŹ c lights, or public transportation. Vehicles and denizens can connect directly or reach out to the Internet, improving overall city and trafďŹ c management. This enables the infrastructure to be monetized.
IoT Microtransactions Microtransactions in IoT become possible by providing reachability to the Internet to often disconnected devices. The possibilities are immense!
Off-the-grid Trading Disconnected devices can now access the Internet, and thus engage in trading when previously that was not possible. With HOP, even disconnected devices can trade goods and services.
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2.7.1 Other Use Cases Being an enabler of connectivity, this technology can be used in many ways; in fact, we’ve seen tremendous creativity from our community in ways in which the Hype Open Protocol can be deployed. We highlight some of the possibilities, but its applicability has no limits. Conferences, festivals, and sport events
Connecting things to people
Connectivity is usually bad in events with high counts of people, such as music festivals, conferences, and sports events. Hype offloads the infrastructure by redirecting traffic to less congested access points and keeping part of that traffic off the grid, improving connectivity while saving money on infrastructure.
Technology-driven cities are more efficient and offer better quality of life to its denizens. Hype provides core connectivity for the city, making plain automation smart and disconnected devices become connected. The next step in utilities is becoming smart Public utilities perpetuate the costs of maintenance and oversight. Hype empowers the next generation of public utilities, driven by connected devices and automated processes.
Communicating when everything else fails Mesh networks are extremely resilient and selfhealing as they are infrastructureless. Hype uses mobile mesh networks as a base and is ideal for catastrophe scenarios and rescue operations.
M2M Security IoT devices often lack the capabilities for implementing necessary security mechanisms, such as encryption. Hype enables such devices to rent computational power for securing their data.
Sharing anything, anytime, anywhere Sharing files, pictures, videos, and music, has never been easier. With Hype’s cross-platform abilities, it’s now possible to seamlessly share any type of media between devices created by different manufacturers.
Trading digital assets Hype enables devices to trade digital goods by connecting them together. The monetization is powered by HOP!
Smart homes need smart connectivity Smart homes demand smart devices, and smart devices demand connectivity. Hype cross connects devices and blends technology into a mesh of connectivity enabling the next generation of Smart Homes and Offices.
Vending machines Collecting revenue from vending machines can be a pain. Hype enables devices to connect and trade goods for HOP, simplifying the logistics and preventing theft.
Better gaming experiences with local connectivity
Smart metering
Enable multiplayer proximity gaming without worrying about connectivity. Hype lets you join players with different devices on the same network. Hype is connectivity, Hype is fun!
Water and energy metering is done by approximation. With cheap connectivity and an associated economy, the tracking can be exact. No more settlements!
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HypeLabs HypeLabs was founded on the belief that connectivity matters. We started because we identified a huge gap between the way people connect and access information across developed and developing countries. We believe in connectivity as a human right, as an enabler of growth and a tool to learn. It’s an equalizer of opportunities. Today we are on a mission to expand connectivity. We believe in great software as a solution to make tomorrow’s connections more reliable, secure, affordable, and interoperable, and that new paradigms in connectivity are key in achieving a brighter, more connected, future.
3.1 Team Carlos Lei CEO & Co-Founder Carlos started working in IT at the age of 14, as an early age IT team manager, providing assistance and working for companies such as IBM, BPI Bank, Santander, Zon Telecommunications and Glintt in the following years. With a background in Computer Science, his entrepreneurial skills have been recognized by organizations such as the European Parliament, Inc. magazine, Saint Gallen University and Kairos Society. Today he acts as CEO of HypeLabs, and mentors a variety of startups enrolled in multiple acceleration programs.
André Francisco CTO & Co-founder An avid tech enthusiast since developing his first video game at age 11, André has spent the last two decades working on a wide variety of projects in different companies and research centers. He worked in several fields of study, including computer networking, artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural and computer language processing, 3D graphics, and more. André helped found several other startups and founded NuCC, an association for computer science at the University of Porto. André is known for being a valuable mentor and an avid speaker on tech related topics.
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Bruno Fernandes Head of IoT With nearly 20 years of experience in telecommunication and embedded systems, Bruno influences the Hype SDK towards the IoT segment. Prior to joining HypeLabs, he was a technical specialist at Schindler, electrical engineer at Kitepower BV, and researcher for the Portuguese Institute of Telecommunications, where he worked with multi-hop sensor networks for smart waste management for UrbanSense. Bruno is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Vigo, focusing on improving interoperability in communications using a transparent abstraction cognitive transport layer.
Raquel Ribeiro Office Manager Raquel is an avid professional with tremendous organizational skills, which she got from her studies in mathematics. A key element in the HypeLabs team, Raquel is a proactive and dynamic person, curious for all kinds of topics. She handles financial, business and logistic aspects, enabling HypeLabs’ operations to run smoothly. Raquel holds a Ba. in Mathematics from the Faculty of Science of the University of Porto, and is currently pursuing a MSc. in business finance at the Superior Institute of Administration and Accounting of Porto (ISCAP).
Maria Alexandra Customer Success and Sales Manager Prior to joining HypeLabs, Maria worked as blog manager at Contemporary Lightning, followed by a COO position at DelightFULL, one of Europe’s leading companies in the design, craftsmanship and sale of modern lightning lamps. At HypeLabs, Maria acts as customer success and sales manager, ensuring the world knows about the technology as well as providing support, guaranteeing developers successful implementation of the technology. Maria holds a MSc in Environmental Economics and Management from the University of Porto.
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José Teixeira Developer and Network Engineer One of HypeLabs’ earliest team members and core product engineer, José is a devoted, dynamic and curious individual with great technical and leadership skills. He is responsible for developing, maintaining and improving the Hype SDK’s main functionalities, as well as planning future features and developments. He also manages the development pipelines of the technology, which are crucial for seamly deploying the SDK. José holds a MSc in Software Engineering from the Engineering Institute of Porto, with a specialization in sensor network systems.
Pedro Salazar Network Engineer and Wireless Systems Architect Pedro is responsible for core product development, as well as profiling and optimizing generic and specific networks. Prior to his work at HypeLabs, Pedro worked as a researcher at the INESC Technology and Science laboratory, where he designed a new protocol for layer 2 wireless mesh networks. He was responsible for leveraging wireless networks to extend broadband connectivity to remote areas and offshore. Pedro holds a MSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a specialization in telecommunications, as well as five CCNA certificates.
Fábio Barbosa Software Developer Fábio has been writing code since high school, where he followed a 3 year technical computing course. Since then, Fábio has been developing software for a variety of projects in mobile, web and embedded systems. He also worked at Portugal Telecom, the largest telecom operator in Portugal. At HypeLabs, his presence has been fundamental for writing drivers, allowing the Hype SDK to run on new platforms and developing better transport implementations for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and the like. On his spare time Fabio enjoys watching anime and appreciating trance music.
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Xavier Araújo Software Engineer Xavier’s fascination for telecommunication systems, mobile communications and computer networks made him pursue a career in IT. Today he holds a MSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a specialization in computer networks and communication services. After graduation, Xavier was hired as a software engineer at Bosch, where he was responsible for the design, implementation and analysis of software control algorithms for industrial hydraulic systems. Today, he is responsible for the development of drivers and cryptographic solutions at HypeLabs.
Rafael Soares Full-Stack Web Developer Rafael is a software developer with great passion for web and app development. As one of HypeLabs first team members, Rafael has an essential role as full-stack developer, where he develops, maintains and evolves the website, dashboard, and everything web-related. His full-stack skills guarantee a smooth integration of HypeLabs’ web platforms, as well as the design and management of database and systems. On his spare time, Rafael is a bass player at a post-rock band and goes on long rides with his bike if the weather is right.
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3.2 Advisors Oskar Ĺ opalewski hub:raum/Deutsche Telekom Oskar is investment manager at hub:raum, where he is tasked with discovering external innovation. Inside the organization, Oskar is responsible for supporting program ideation and planning in cross-industry initiatives, sourcing startups and solution partners, evaluating technological projects, conducting business and market analysis, as well as closing early stage investment deals. He operates in a project management mode to deliver new technology use-cases and corporate partners from the telecommunications and IT sphere.
Peter Kullring Ericsson With over two decades of experience in the telecommunication sector, Peter has a strong background in networking, management of sales and business modeling of networking solutions. Today, Peter is principal researcher for business models and incubation at Ericsson ONE, a global community of thinkers and doers, designers, developers and entrepreneurs, brought together by a shared mission to create easy to use innovations that scale, last and solve real problems that people care about.
Matilda George Ericsson At Ericsson, Matilda serves as advisor to the Vice President of Global Innovation, and serves as Head of Ericsson ONE, where she is the Director of Global Innovation. She leads the exploration of future technology and potential portfolio leaps, as well as taking new ideas through to commercial viability by collaborating with their customers. Before, she was in charge of Strategy and Innovation Internship as well as Innovation Ecosystem Engagement. Matilda is skilled in project management and strategic communications.
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Pedro Vieira 500 Startups Europe; West to West; GoodGuide Being an engineer turned manager, Pedro has deep experience in the tech world. His first venture, GoodGuide, was backed by NEA and DFJ and created tools to help companies sell, and consumers buy, safer and healthier products. These tools are used today by millions of users around the world. Pedro has experience on both sides of the table as operator and investor, and with all the different stages of a venture from idea to growth, through fundraising, product development, engineering management and biz dev.
Ricardo Costa Loqr; School of Management and Technology of Polytechnic of Porto With a PhD in Computer Science and MSc in Network and Communication Services, Ricardo shares his time between managing his own cybersecurity startup, Loqr, and lecturing at the School of Management and Technology of Polytechnic of Porto where he serves as Director of the Master Degree in Network and Communication Services. Ricardo has over 10 years experience in system engineering, administration and networking proficiency in complex client/server enterprises solutions. He has extensive knowledge in security technologies.
Boris Pavacic ex-Google Boris has 20 years of software development experience, including 4 leading his own startup and 7 at Google. While at Google, Boris contributed to core projects such as BigTable and BigQuery, distributed SQL query engine, and Supersonic, among others. Today, he is a senior C++ and Java developer specialized in designing and building large-scale distributed systems. He works as a remote consultant and software developer in a variety of projects, as well as mentoring early stage startups part of Deutsche Telekom’s incubation programs.
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Rui Campos Head of Wireless Networks Area at INESC TEC Rui Campos has a PhD degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering. He now leads the Wireless Networks research team for the Centre for Telecommunications and Multimedia at INESC TEC. Rui is also an IEEE Senior Member. He has coordinated several research projects, including SIMBED, UGREEN, BLUECOM+, MareCom, MTGrid, Mare-Fi, Under-Fi, ReCoop, and HiperWireless. His research interests include medium access control, mobility management, and network auto-conďŹ guration, with a special focus on ying, maritime, and underwater networks.
Roberto Machado Founder & CPO at UTRUST Founder and Product Manager at several startups prior to UTRUST, Roberto has been leading different teams to build highlyreliable software products, with a focus on the end user experience. Previously, he has worked together with major international companies such as AT&T, Betfair, Airtel and Uphold, being responsible for the vision outline, goals and product strategy of solutions used by millions of users.
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3.3 Partners
3.4 Institutional Investors
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Roadmap
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